SBC Women: Where Do We Go from Here? (Kathy Litton)

Ironically, we find ourselves in the midst of two pivotal, transforming moments in the life of our denomination in regard to women.

The first is the significant centennial anniversary of the SBC Constitution being amended in 1918 by the necessary two-thirds majority to seat the first ever female messengers at the annual meeting. This event occurred two years before our country granted women the right to vote. It was a powerful, pivotal moment.

The second is the present moment in time. Conditions are rising for a monumental shift in the way women are valued, treated, and welcomed into places of service and leadership in the collaborative effort of pursuing Great Commission work in the SBC. Many things have occurred to get us here, and the ride has been bumpy—but this could be a window that can change the landscape as we have known it.

I have had many years of history in this denomination that I love. I have been married to two SBC pastors, served on the staff of a thriving SBC church, and am now employed by one of our entities. I have lived through the Conservative Resurgence and have watched our tribe at its best and at its worst. While we are a flawed bunch I have deep respect for the men and women in our denominational family.

I have been richly blessed by the SBC and am heavily invested in it. But I have no delusions about its realities–realities regarding the need to treat women with dignity and to robustly recognize women as indispensable in the Great Commission mandate.

So where do we go from here?

We apply the gospel

We have been saying this and we need NOT to forget it now: We all are in desperate need of the gospel—this includes each and every one of us in spiritual leadership. When any of us fail as leaders, it reminds us “we need the gospel.” God is working with sinners. Martin Luther said, “God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners.” Our sin is not fiction. Not only do we RECEIVE pure grace from Jesus as the result of His death on the cross–we EXTEND grace to fellow sinners.

We stay winsome

Winsome women look for the best in people, are upbeat, quick to forgive, and quick to love. We want to bear others’ burdens with grace and sensitivity, to be authentic in our faith, and always be grateful for God’s blessings and provision. We want to graciously work hand in hand with our brothers in Christ as co-laborers in the kingdom, anticipating the future with joy.

We anticipate change

We are hopeful that transformational change can come to our Southern Baptist world. That women will be respected, highly valued, and increasingly included in roles, responsibilities, and leadership in our denomination. Opportunities to help shape the SBC have been too few for women. Women have much to contribute as leaders, strategists, administrators, creatives, missiologists, communicators, and theologians. We’ve been left out of many conversations and meetings. Yes, we have made token appearances in places along the way, but we can do better. Tokenism says, “We see you.” Inclusion says, “We need you.” As we are truly valued and recognized as indispensable in the mission of the gospel, we will find ourselves more included.

We can gather

We have had little formal space in which to network and engage one another as leaders in the various domains in which we serve and lead. This can be remedied easily. If women are anything we are innate gatherers, we can leverage that bent to create multi-generational conversations in order to encourage, equip and mentor female leadership. With initiative, creativity, and helpful technology we can create space for conversations and relationships we desperately need.

We carry on, sisters

Today all across the globe women from our tribe are all about gospel proclamation, discipleship, advocacy and justice, and leadership. This is happening on a daily basis globally. Church planters’ wives are preparing for mission teams to arrive in their vastly lost cities. We are teachers and professors in colleges and seminaries. Women in countless churches are preparing for VBS. We are packing our bags to lead and serve in student camps. Mothers are teaching the Word to their children. We are writing, editing and publishing spiritual resources. In Malaysia, IMB women are discipling women and training leaders. Women are pouring into internationals in the boroughs of New York, Las Vegas, and Clarkston, Georgia, just to name a few. Female collegiates are readying for summer projects to take the gospel to hard places. Countless others are advocating for the unborn, providing foster care, fighting for women in the sex trade industry, and working with the homeless. As the sun rises in Turkey, SBC women are prayer walking.

We simply carry on what women have done in gospel ministry for centuries. And we deeply desire to help advance the gospel on this globe.

We are thankful for the SBC messengers of 1918. It is important that we honor the contributions of those who have gone before us and paved the way for us that have come behind them. Could 2018 be recognized as the year women were given voices in shaping our denomination and welcomed to the table? That question is yet to be answered—yet we can be hopefully optimistic.

So, we carry on, sisters—and let those behind us find us faithful.

Kathy Litton works for the North American Mission Board and is married to Dr. Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Mobile, AL.

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We are hopeful that transformational change can come to our Southern Baptist world. That women will be respected, highly valued, and increasingly included in roles, responsibilities, and leadership in our denomination.

I think this has been one of the most convicting things to me over the past few months. I’ve realized that I’ve actually been content with the conversation around SBC-related issues and how that conversation is overwhelmingly from the perspective of men. I never really considered that it was a problem or deficiency for us. But now I wonder if some of the embarrassment we’ve seen over the past 6 months might have been avoided had we included and valued the perspective of women and various levels of convention administration.

June 20, 2018 11:10 am

Mark Terry

It has been my privilege to serve with countless women during our career in international missions, and that certainly includes my wife, Barbara. In many nations it is not culturally appropriate for a male to have a personal conversation with a female. Thus, the evangelism of women and children must be done by female missionaries. Overseas, we’ve seen women excel in ministry as evangelists, counselors, teachers, nurses, medical doctors, disciplers, librarians, and host of other ways. Certainly, I affirm the BSFM 2000, but that restriction still leaves us the latitude to employ the spiritual gifts and abilities of female Christians in many ways. Why would we ignore or disparage the gifted-ness of 50% of our church members? Our failure to utilize them fully is poor stewardship.

Hi, Mark! I really appreciate your perspective. This is not merely about gender (as if gender is a “mere” thing); this conversation is also one about stewardship and the functionality of the whole body. This is not about being nice and letting women sit at the table; it’s about recognizing, sharpening, and utilizing what God has given to accomplish His mission. Yes, yes, yes.

These are key elements to the larger conversation. Thanks for pointing out these things!

June 20, 2018 11:36 am

Debbie Kaufman

Bekah: I agree with your words and so glad to see you and these articles written by women appearing on our SBC blogs and sites. As I said a few times since the Convention ended, it is like I can breath deeply now. It is so refreshing and wonderful to see women with wisdom and knowledge permeating our Southern Baptist magazines and blogosphere.

Kathy, I thank God for all the work you have been doing for many years for His Kingdom. I’ve seen great benefit when we value and encourage women in ministry. I’ve only had the opportunity to sponsor one student to attend and complete Bible college. She is bearing much fruit. At the small, rural church where I serve, women lead several of our most important ministries. So what you write resonates with me.

At the same time, I’m concerned that some people will (mis)use this conversation as an opportunity to promote allowing women to serve as Senior Pastors/elders and in similar roles which involve teaching and having authority over men in ministry. Nothing in your post indicates that you yourself intend to promote this. But in our present climate, this is a very active issue. So it might help if you would be willing to affirm that by seeking more leadership opportunities for women, you do not mean to include those roles which Scripture limits to men. On the other hand, if you disagree with me about this and do believe that women should be allowed to serve in all the same roles men serve in, including the role of Senior Pastor, then saying so clearly might allow us to have an open, (hopefully, prayerfully) respectful discussion about that.

A gentle suggestion to my male colleagues along these lines: If someone such as Kathy offers some encouragement in this area, wouldn’t it be better to let them speak and not demand affirmations, declarations, or other things? No one demands of men a series of affirmations or declarations before they are allowed to speak.

Since “nothing in [Kathy’s] post indicates” what you are afraid of, just let her speak. She works for NAMB (with pastor’s wives) and thus has to affirm the BFM. She may, of course, answer you or not as she wishes, but I’d hate to think we have a climate where we have to go through this every time a woman writes an article or comments on women in the SBC.

William, I understand your concern. It would be great to be able to have a conversation about this in a group where we could be reasonably confident that no one was promoting ideas contrary to our understanding of the Bible’s teaching as expressed in the BFM. The comments section in SBCVoices is not, however, such a setting. In a recent article on a similar topic (“Hope for Women of the SBC”, June 18th), several people in the discussion were clearly advocating that the SBC drop it’s complementarian viewpoint and practices.

I think that describing my request as a “demand” is an unfair characterization. I have no authority here to “demand” anything from anyone, nor was my language or tone “demanding”. Asking for clarification on an issue where there is a lot of confusion at the present time does not seem unreasonable and is certainly not meant to be disrespectful. Does that make sense?

Then address it where you find it, Mark, rather than where you suspect it even though there’s no evidence. Your comment was respectful but my point was that men would have to state a doctrinal error whereas women are instantly suspect on the matter. Being respectful doesn’t solve your problem though it is preferable to being disrespectful. Not a huge deal to me other than there aren’t many places where women contribute and comment.

No need to hijack Kathy’s very nice article for a discussion of this. And, perhaps all of us would let this stay where it is. Thanks.

[Sure, no one appointed me to be much of anything here. Even worse, no one is paying me to do anything these days.]

William, you seem to assume that I asked Kathy the question I did because she is a woman. I honestly believe I would have asked a man who wrote the same words the same question.

June 20, 2018 10:30 am

Debbie Kaufman

William: I for one am thankful you are writing this and again wish it were not necessary. But grateful you are willing to say them.

June 20, 2018 12:25 pm

Cheryl Rice

“Tokenism says, “We see you.” Inclusion says, “We need you.” “
Thank you Kathy. If we truly ascribe to be complementarians, we must acknowledge the body is incomplete when women are marginalized.

June 21, 2018 8:58 am

Tarheel_Dave

That’s right Cheryl.

Whenever women are marginalized the body of Christ wont work properly.

Men and women have different gifts abilities and God given roles within the church – both males and females are essential to properly functioning body.

1 cor 12:12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slavesd or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Mark, I believe the follow-up comments more than adequately address what you’ve asked. I don’t think it was a wise or helpful question, but they have responded graciously. As a further point, I would expect you to realize that there is a difference between what we allow in comments (wide range of views) versus what we publish as articles. I’m confident that Southern Baptist women can speak without the need to constantly clarify that they are in agreement with the BF&M.

June 20, 2018 10:23 am

Debbie Kaufman

Thank you for this Brent.

June 20, 2018 12:27 pm

Kathy Litton

Thanks William you have characterized my belief about the role of Senior Pastor entirely accurately–to be clear is is MY personal conviction first and yet it does comply with BFM. Your “gentle suggestion” is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for this William, although I hope their comes a day when this will be a given and not have to remind our male partners in Christ of this.

June 20, 2018 12:18 pm

Jerry Evins

Is the BFM 2000 inerrant? Not sure a conversation can be had unless there is freedom to examine it. If a woman employed by the SBC in any capacity disagreed with it, as things are right now, would they be dismissed? The conversation seems boxed in, IMHO.

Jerry, just as with Mark, there is no need to repeat this discussion on every post. Mark wants assurance we’re not compromising the BF&M. You want us to move beyond it. The SBC’s position & statement of faith is clear. If either of you want to continue this discussion elsewhere, you’re more than welcome. We’ll be better off here discussing the content of the original post.

June 20, 2018 11:00 am

Jerry Evins

Good to know belief in the BFM 2000 is iron clad and everyone is fine with it. That being the case, I will direct my comments to being helpful within those parameters.

June 20, 2018 5:16 pm

Blake Haas

I know this article was written to women but this line was convicting to me:

“Tokenism says, “We see you.” Inclusion says, “We need you.” As we are truly valued and recognized as indispensable in the mission of the gospel, we will find ourselves more included.”

I love that SBC Voices is publishing these articles. It is important for so many men to see these thoughts published and digest them.

This thread encourages me so much! Not just for the grace and humility Kathy exhibits and that we can all learn from, but its so encouraging to read the responses from my brothers. Your hearts and listening ear are not going unnoticed. Thank you for leading well and graciously encouraging your sisters. It truly does bring so much joy!

June 20, 2018 3:15 pm

Jerry Evins

Here’s an idea or vision, not sure……. Since Southwestern Seminary is in transition, why not make it Southern Baptist’s premier seminary for women? That way you could have women teaching and preaching and training women without worrying about infractions or violations of the BFM 2000. One can imagine the excitement this would engender. And of course, there could be men teaching there. It would surely fulfill Dr. Patterson’s vision of 5000 full time students. Southern Baptists could have their first woman seminary president, a Beth Moore type. Bring back that outstanding Hebrew professor who once taught there. Talk about harnessing and honoring the gifts, talents and graces of the many women in the SBC who want to give Jesus their all…

June 20, 2018 4:12 pm

Tarheel_Dave

Lol. Fine with me as long as they’re not “training pastors” – which, by the way, none of the ladies writing articles here are advocating for – only anti CR liberals like you are.

Jerry, I am thankful for you. But really, these people are content with their understanding. Best to encourage those who feel called and can’t affirm BF&M to leave. I didn’t believe that before but it’s probably true. God isn’t tied to the SBC. Best to just wash your hands of it and let Him deal with it as He chooses.

Okay, help me out here. A woman can do anything a pastor does as long as she does not have the title or office of pastor. So she is free to teach, preach and disciple as long as no one calls her pastor.